NVIDIA Announces SHIELD Tablet, A Powerful Android Gaming Tablet

Just as a big leak suggested last week, the NVIDIA SHIELD tablet has just been made a reality. Much like the SHIELD portable, the SHIELD tablet aims to provide a top-notch Android gaming experience in a small device that’s always ready to roll. It’s kinda like the Tegra Note 7 and the SHIELD Portable had a baby. How cute!

The SHIELD tablet’s innards are packed with all sorts of awesome specs, including the NVIDIA K1 mobile processor. The TegraK1 has 192 cores at its disposal, and supports GRID Cloud Streaming, PC Streaming and is the first Android tablet to feature Twitch support. Storage can be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card slot, and is fully compatible with apps and games from the Google Play Store. Like the Tegra Note 7, a Direct Stylus is on board, as well as front-facing stereo speakers and an 8-inch full HD display.

Since NVIDIA decided to de-couple the controller from the SHIELD tablet you’ll have to pay an extra $60 for the SHIELD Wireless Controller, which literally looks like the SHIELD portable without the screen. The controller can also be used with the SHIELD portable, and uses low latency WiFi direct to establish a connection.

The SHIELD tablet is currently available for pre-order, and will be available in two variants. One variant rocks 16GB of storage and WiFi, and the second touts 32GB, WiFi and LTE. Pricing starts at $299 for the 16GB WiFi version, $59.99 for the SHIELD wireless controller and $39.99 for the SHIELD tablet cover, which doubles as a stand for your gaming pleasure.

The SHIELD tablet looks pretty sweet, but is it really worth shelling out $300 just for Android gaming? NVIDIA sure thinks so, but I’m not so convinced. The SHIELD portable wasn’t a flop by any means, but certainly didn’t perform as well as the company had expected. Separating the tablet and the controller is a smart move, and adds a whole other level of functionality to the gaming-centered device.